My name is Diane Hopkins. I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Tennessee and I am proud to be a southern girl. My husband got transfered to Wichita, Ks. when the company he worked for closed in 1998. We lived there for 8 years and moved back to the mountains in 2006. We live in Northeast Tn. in the Appalachian mountains. It has advantages and disadvantages, but you always take the good with the bad. We have the pleasure of seeing wildlife on a daily basis which we both love. We have black bear, deer, wild turkey, fox, raccoons, bob cats, and all of the other small critters. We also have the Eastern Bluebirds, yellow and purple finches, Downy Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, just a few of the many beautiful birds in our yard. Theres nothing like living in the country in the mountains.

In 2005 my job in Ks. went to Mexico, ( imagine that). I told my husband I wanted to stay home and do what my heart was yearning to do, and that was to paint. Painting is a passion I have had all of my life. I got started with it in 1977. I began by taking oil painting lessons on canvas. I did that for a while then later I took acrylic painting lessons. I sold my work in a craft store in Ks., and did a show, winning an award. I paint on rocks, turkey feathers, wood, canvas, and saw blades, just about everything. My work is in homes across the country.

Begining in May, I take a break from painting because of yard work with planting spring flowers, planting vegetables in the garden, etc. I can and freeze our food from the garden and from the other fruit we have. Cherries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, pears, apples. I stay very busy with this and don't have a lot of time to paint. Sept. and October, I am more than ready to start painting again.

On Oct. 29, 2008 I received a phone call that every parent dreads to ever get. My oldest and only daughter Angela was murdered by her estranged husband. I thought my world had come to an end as well, and for a while it did. Finally when I saw I couldn't carry the hurt any longer, I turned to God for help. I give him all of the praise and glory for helping me to heal. I get my talent for painting through him, and begining in Oct. of 2009, I felt I had to start painting again. We had 2 daughters, the second one was born with Spina Bifida (caused by Agent Orange from the Vietnam war) she passed away in 1986. She would have been 14 in a couple of months of her death. I do have a granddaughter and a grandson. We see both of them maybe once a month but I talk often to my granddaughter on the phone, she lives out of state.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for those of you who have bought my art. You bless me in more ways than one. You have helped my dream to come true. Now with this last tragedy happening to me, I really and truely mean the above statement. When you like my work enough to buy it, you inspire me to paint another item. Once again I thank you more than you will ever know.

If you ever need to ask a question, please email me at countryrocker_67207@yahoo.com or through ebay. No I am not a rocker, only a country rock painter. lol,  Diane